French Private Payrolls Drop 0.1% in Q2

2026-08-06 07:13 By Czyrill Jean Coloma 1 min. read

Private payroll employment in France fell 0.1% quarter-on-quarter, or 19,300 jobs, to 21 million in the second quarter of 2026, matching market expectations and remaining unchanged from the previous period.

Compared with a year earlier, private employment was down 0.4% (-79,700 jobs), though it remained 5% (+1 million jobs) above its pre-pandemic level.

Temporary employment continued to weaken, falling 1.4% (-9,700 jobs), leaving it below both its year-earlier level (-1.9%) and its pre-pandemic level (-10.4%).

Excluding temporary work, employment trends were mixed across sectors.

Jobs in agriculture declined 0.8% (-2,500 jobs), industry shed 0.1% (-3,200 jobs), while the construction contracted 0.4% (-6,100 jobs).

Meanwhile, employment in both market services and non-market services excluding temporary work was stable.

Despite the recent slowdown, France's private payroll employment remains well above pre-pandemic levels, standing 5% (+1 million jobs) higher than at the end of 2019.



News Stream
French Private Payrolls Drop 0.1% in Q2
Private payroll employment in France fell 0.1% quarter-on-quarter, or 19,300 jobs, to 21 million in the second quarter of 2026, matching market expectations and remaining unchanged from the previous period. Compared with a year earlier, private employment was down 0.4% (-79,700 jobs), though it remained 5% (+1 million jobs) above its pre-pandemic level. Temporary employment continued to weaken, falling 1.4% (-9,700 jobs), leaving it below both its year-earlier level (-1.9%) and its pre-pandemic level (-10.4%). Excluding temporary work, employment trends were mixed across sectors. Jobs in agriculture declined 0.8% (-2,500 jobs), industry shed 0.1% (-3,200 jobs), while the construction contracted 0.4% (-6,100 jobs). Meanwhile, employment in both market services and non-market services excluding temporary work was stable. Despite the recent slowdown, France's private payroll employment remains well above pre-pandemic levels, standing 5% (+1 million jobs) higher than at the end of 2019.
2026-08-06
France Private Payroll Employment Down 0.1%
Private payroll employment in France fell by 0.1% quarter-on-quarter, or 13,900 jobs, to 21.0 million in the first quarter of 2026, matching preliminary estimates and remaining unchanged from the previous quarter. Permanent contracts edged down 0.1% from the prior quarter but remained well above their end-2019 level, while apprenticeship contracts declined by 0.4%. In contrast, fixed-term contracts excluding apprenticeships rose by 0.4% over the quarter. By age group, private sector employment continued to decline among workers aged 15–29 (-0.2%), mainly due to weaker apprenticeship hiring. Employment also fell for those aged 30–54, down 0.2% quarter-on-quarter. Meanwhile, employment among older workers aged 55 and above continued to rise strongly, increasing by 0.7%. On a yearly basis, private payroll employment decreased by 0.3%, or 60,700 jobs, marking the fifth consecutive period of annual contraction, although employment levels remained 5.1% above their pre-pandemic level.
2026-05-29
France Private Payroll Employment Falls 0.1% in Q1
Private payroll employment in France fell 0.1%, or 11,400 jobs, to 21.0 million in Q1 2026, matching the previous quarter and compared with expectations of stagnation. Compared with the same period last year, private employment dropped 0.3%, or 64,400 jobs. Temporary employment continued to weaken, falling 0.3% (-1,900 jobs), remaining below both its level a year earlier (-0.7%) and its pre-pandemic level (-9.2%). Excluding temporary work, employment was mixed across sectors. Agriculture declined (-1.2%, or -4,000 jobs), alongside industry (-0.1%, or -3,200 jobs). Construction continued to contract (-0.5%, or -7,700 jobs), extending its downward trend. In contrast, market services excluding temporary work were stable, while non-market services rebounded (+0.2%, or +4,500 jobs). Despite recent weakness, private payroll employment remains significantly above pre-pandemic levels, up 5.3% (+1.1 million jobs) compared with end-2019.
2026-04-30